Michelle A., PA

In 1996, my father had a faulty tuberculosis test, which led to a biopsy of his lung where stage IV lung cancer was found. Initially, he was given only a year to live, but he beat those odds and remained stable for five years. After a case of the shingles, the cancer had recurred and metastasized throughout his body.

For nearly fourteen years, I watched as my dad - my best friend - endured countless surgeries before finally losing his battle to lung cancer in 2010. For me, the battle for healthy air is personal, and I know that my involvement with the American Lung Association can make a difference.

Nonsmokers are not safe from polluted and smog filled air. Everything you breathe resides in your lungs and is processed by your major organs. Clean air is important to our overall health and even the slightest exposure to secondhand smoke or polluted air can cause flare-ups in those living with lung disease.